A Keepers Quest
by ThreeDarkAngels
Summary: Heather is sent by the last of the Keepers to aid Gandalf and company, to slay a dragon. Her road will be long and hard, friendships will be forged and enemies will be made. Their time is running short. Will Heather be able to find the answer in time?
1. The Start

Until then the world had been at peace, but the day came when the rings of power were made:

Three rings for the Elven kings, wise and fairest of all,

and seven for the dwarf lords who dwelt in caverns of stone,

nine rings for mortal men doomed to die.

And the one ring for the dark lord on his dark throne.

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,

one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them,

in the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.

But that is not all for there is more to it than just that but . . . I think I must take our story to the land of the Shire, for that is where it all began.

Chapter 1. The Unexpected Party and a Rare Guest.

"Gandalf when will we be there? I am getting tired of sitting."

"All in good time Heather, we will be there soon. As for getting tired, I am certain that I can think up many things that you could do other than just sitting that would be of much more use. For example practicing your thinking skills and figuring out how to get a hobbit on an adventure."

"I have done that more times than I can remember in this hour alone and the only options I can think of are, force it into it use blackmail or find one that is a Took."

"Heather, that will certainly not do - for one, I have picked a hobbit and you know very well he is not a Took. And I will not for any reason what so ever resort to your way of handling things, and although scaring is not one of them it is leaning in that direction."

"Of course scaring is not one of them. If I had my way I would tell the silly hobbit to do it, and if he didn't make him do it anyway!"

"Of course, that is what I meant Heather. You have a bad habit of using force instead of tact, and you must learn how to use both in perfect harmony."

"Why did Tia send me? I could have stayed and help find the last keeper . . . but no! I had to go help Gandalf help some dwarves and a Hobbit to go to the lonely mountain kill a dragon and reclaim a bunch of gold and silver."

"Now Heather, Tia sent you because you are the best one for the job, you are the only one other than Tia who is known and trusted by almost all of the dwarves in middle earth, and I am very confident that hobbits will all love you as well. Now we must find Bilbo Baggins."

Gandalf's cart continued down the lane with poor Heather sitting in the back trying to convince herself not to strangle Gandalf's pony for being too slow.

Bilbo Baggins was sitting just outside his front door with his pipe. It was a wonderful day, the sky was blue, the birds were singing, and all of the flowers were blooming. As he was smoking up came Gandalf, but it had been a long time since Bilbo had seen him, and he didn't recognize him. All the little Hobbit saw was an old man with a staff. Gandalf had on a tall pointed blue hat, a long gray cloak, a long silver scarf over which his long white beard hung down to his waist, and immense black boots.

"Good Morning" Said Bilbo Cheerily. For he was feeling very fine today.

"What do you mean?" Said Gandalf. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

"All of them at once!" Bilbo replied. "And a very fine morning for a pipe, if you have one on you sit down and have some of my weed! There's no hurry we have all the day before us!"

With that said Bilbo leaned back and blew a large smoke ring out of his pipe and watched it float over the hill and in to the sky.

"Very pretty." Gandalf said. "But I have no time to blow smoke-rings this morning. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it is very hard to find anyone."

"I should think so – in these parts! We are plain quite folk that have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Makes you late for dinner! I can't see what anybody see's in them."

At that Bilbo opened his letters and started to read, for he was getting a little uneasy with the topic of conversation, and hoped the old man would go away. But the old man didn't leave or even take his eyes off the poor hobbit, until Bilbo started to get very uneasy and looked up.

"Good morning" he said at last. "We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over the hill or across the Water."

Bilbo hoped that the old man would understand that he wanted nothing to do with this and leave, unfortunately for Bilbo the old man would not be leaving any time soon.

"What a lot of things you use _Good Morning _for." Gandalf said with amusement. "Now you mean that you want me to leave and it want me to leave and it won't be good until I move off."

****************************Across the lane behind some trees ****************************

"Oh, were is that old busy body!" Heather complained to the grazing pony.

Heather was sitting on the grass next to the pony who she had named Lazy, as that is what she believed him to be most of the time.

Heather was wearing a brown dress that went down to her ankles, a dark green sash around her waist, and black boots. Gandalf had insisted that she dress plainly so as not to attract to much attention to them. Although their quest was not immensely needy of secrecy Gandalf had insisted on keeping quiet.

The grass nearby rustled and Lazy stopped grazing and backed into the cart. Heather jumped up slipping her hand into her dress for her knife.

"Who is it?" Heather called out.


	2. We are Going to Tea

Chapter 2. We are Going to Tea.

Heather stood ready with her hand in her dress ready to pull out her knife.

"Who's there? Show yourself at once!"

The grass stopped moving and all was silent except for Lazy's loud breathing.

'Of course!' Heather thought. 'It's Gandalf testing me again. Now all I have to do is pretend to think it was just a rabbit and then jump him when he comes out. Oh he's in for it this time!' Heather smirked and stepped forward as if inspecting.

"Oh, just a rabbit silly me." She said in pretense.

Heather turned around and walked back to her seat which was an old log near Lazy. She sat down and pretended to be bored and drop her guard, but if anyone who knew her was watching they would know that she was ready and waiting for anything.

Suddenly there was a noise and something came hurtling from the grasses strait for her. Heather fell of the log and gave an ear-piercing scream.

*******************************At the Hobbit Hole***************************************

Back at the hole Gandalf stood laughing, long but silently, and the hobbit who had now knowing who the wizard was retreated into his hole, hopping to get out of the idea on an adventure entirely, but not without extending an invitation to tea the next day.

After he had finished his laugh Gandalf stepped forward and struck the round door with his staff leaving quire mark upon the hobbits freshly painted door.

Poor Bilbo was so flustered, at the brush of danger of the conversation; that he completely forgot about putting down 'tea with Gandalf' on his engagement tablet, instead he was helping himself to another seed cake thinking that some food would put his wits to right.

Meanwhile Gandalf was walking slowly over to where he had left Heather and the cart, hoping that nothing had happened to them. He sighed.

"Although Heather is nowhere near the hobbits, that have not meet her, I have a bad feeling that something will happen soon. Oh dear me, I hope it is nothing but a feeling.

At that Gandalf started to hurry his pace, then as he made his way to the cart, two hobbits were walking down the lane and as they passed him he heard something quite interesting.

" A bunch of them! Least that is what old Gamge said. A bunch of animal all in one place hiding in the grasses watching something on the east side of the old field. All sort's. Rabbit's, foxes, not fighting or anything just sittin and watching something" Said the first hobbit.

"My dear Proudfoot," Said the second. "I don't believe it. Old Gamge's gone cracked that's what. No fox would be sittin in a field full of rabbits without eating them, or scaring them off at the least, Gamge is telling a tale to ya, he must of have been out in the sun a mite to much today."

"Nay!" The Proudfoot exclaimed. "If Gamge said there was a snowman sitting the old field in the middle of summer I would believe im, old gamge is the best hobbit there is other than Mr. Bilbo Baggins, and he don't tell no tall tales!"

By now the two hobbits had gone out of Gandalf's hearing and had continued on to their destination. Gandalf stood there in the lane for a minute before continuing on his journey back to the cart with more haste than before.

'Animals sitting in a field watching something. Oh that little fool. She forgot to keep her talents hidden.'

Now let me explain that although to you it might seem that Heather is a normal young woman it is not so unless to us mortals two thousand years old seems young.

Heather has the power of speech (among other things that will be revealed later.) and can understand and speak to not only other people of different race's but also to animals, and once she has spoken too an animal all of the other species can also understand her, and naturally they are curious to see her.

As Gandalf approached the cart something came flying from the tall grass straight for Heather. Heather screamed and fell off the log she was sitting on.

"Heather what is it" Gandalf asked.

"It it's a rabbit!" Heather exclaimed in surprise and embarrassment. "So you weren't testing me?"

"Of course not Heather, I don't have time for that now. Come on we must get the dwarves." Said Gandalf.

"Why? Can I bring the rabbit? Where are we going?" Heather asked.

"Yes. And we are going to tea."

**Thanks for reading. Please Review and tell me what you think.**

**AneeshaLOTR**.


	3. Chapter 3 A Tea Party or a Disaster

Chapter 3. A Tea Party or a Disaster.

"What!" Nearly all of our feathered friends that dwell in the tree tops, fled from their nests to find refuge from the noise in hobbiton, and I dare say that any elf in the vicinity was clutching their ears.

"Now, now heather. What did I say about behaving yourself?" Gandalf said sternly.

"Behave myself! You have to be kidding me! I came here to go on an adventure and slay a dragon, not drink tea! I will not, I repeat. I will not drink that stuff in a thousand years, nor will I get dressed up in some frilly frock and pour tea for a doll!"

Now it is time for an explanation. Heather is the fourth of seven girls, and having an older sister who enjoyed tea parties to an amazing extent, it is not surprising that heather was often dragged in to most of them. Adding the fact that Heather had never liked dressing up, and that she had never been to a real tea party it is easy to conclude where her anger and confusion came from.

"Heather I promise you won't have to pour tea or drink it for that matter. There are many things for you to drink other than tea at a tea party. And there will be no dolls. Where in all of middle earth did you get the idea that there would be dolls at a tea party?"

"Lynn said that no tea party is a tea party without dolls."

"When and where did she say that?"

"One thousand five hundred years ago. Back when we were living in southern Mirkwood."

"Well then. You were all young back then, and I am sure that was only meant for children's tea party's not the proper ones."

"Fine. But only if I can take Nimmeth with me."

"Nimmeth?"

"Nimmeth." At this Heather gestured to the white rabbit in her arms.

"Oh of course. But keep an eye on her and see that she doesn't get into any trouble."

"Oh don't worry, Gandalf. We will both be as good as me on my best days." With that, Heather put Nimmeth on the seat of the cart and, went to get Lazy and harness him to the cart.

"If they act like Heather at all, middle earth will be doomed." Gandalf said morbidly. Gandalf was reminded of the first and last time he took Heather to a feast in imaldris.

_Flashback_

"There you are Heather. I am glad that you were able to make it."

"Now don't laugh Gandalf it isn't funny. This dress is horrid it itches and I can't move."

"Then how pray is it that you are walking?" Gandalf chuckled.

"Because the great and mighty Heather lets nothing control her, and she has easily conquered this nuisance of a dress." Heather replied in a prim manner.

At the end of her speech the mighty heather was suddenly takin from Gandalf's view, and could be found on the corridor floor.

After that everything got worse. Some men teased heather about her clumsiness, and ended up somewhere in the healing wards. Lord Elrond had heather sit next to his daughter Arwen in the hopes that Arwen would be able to keep her out of any more trouble. That hope was soon shattered. At this particular feast the king of mirkwood and his son were also attending. As everyone knows King Thranduil has no love for dwarves, some dwarves were resting in imaldris from there journey back to the iron hills from who knows where. They also were attending the feast and when they saw Heather (who was well known by the dwarves and very well respected) asked that she sit by them.

"Gandalf please let me there all on their own in a city of elves resting from a long journey and I am sure that someone known to them would cheer them up." Heather pleaded with Gandalf.

"Heather remember why you ended up sitting next to lady Arwen." Gandalf said warningly.

"Oh Gandalf I promise I won't raise a finger to anyone for a month." Heather said innocently.

"Two." Gandalf replied.

"Deal." Heather said with satisfaction.

"Gandalf! You cannot be serious! Letting a young elleth sit with those dirty mountain dwellers. Although the lady may be interested in learning of the company of such beings. Her life would be forever scared by their uncouth language and manners. A lady will get no benefit in the company of Dwarves." Here King Thranduil spat out the word as if it tasted bad.

King Thranduil's speech made Heather's blood boil with rage at the elven king, and she swore he would be the next elf to have her finger against him once the next two months were over.

"Now Thranduil, Heather has been around dwarves many times. And I don't think that her language or manners were any better than theirs before she meet them." Gandalf said chuckling.

"They are holding her back. Their influence is keeping her from learning skills that a lady should know to raise a family, for no elf will want a wife that is adolescent." Said Thranduil with exasperation.

That made Heather snap. He had dared to call her a child, that and insulting the dwarves was too much. Far too much. Heather clenched her fists under the table. He would not get away with this. Damn the two months! They will have to wait. Heather made some signs under the table with her hand s and whispered something under her breath.

"Gandalf. May I please retire to my room?" Heather said pretending tiredness.

Gandalf raised one of his bushy eye brows. "You may indeed if you feel unwell."

"I have a slight headache." Heather said glaring at the elven king out of the corner of her eye. Which was fortunately unnoticed by the elven king.

"Go to your room and get some rest then Heather." Gandalf said with some uneasiness. He had seen the look Heather gave the elven king and was trying to get Heather out of the room before something happened.

"Thank you Gandalf. Please excuse my lord Elrond, Lady Arwen." Heather nodded to the king of mirkwood and his son and promptly left the room.

Soon after Heather left, shouts and screams could be heard in the hall of feasting. It seems that a colony of stinging ants had invaded the hall, and for some reason were targeting the elven king. Out in the hall way walking toward her room heather smirked. A body full of stinging ants should keep any elf in bed for a month. Oh revenge was sweet.

_End of Flashback_

Gandalf shuddered. It was fortunate that the hobbits had no grudges against dwarves. He had are hard time convincing the Elvin king not to blame lord Elrond for the mysterious mishap.

"Come on old man. We need to get to the dwarfs home before dark if we want them to come with us tomorrow." Heather said cheerily.

"Coming Heather." Gandalf looked at the cart. So what would they be going to tomorrow? A tea party or a disaster.

**Hi readers. I hope you like the chapter. I am so sorry for not updating sooner, but I will from now on. I have a poll up about parings for this story. And please review and tell me what you think about this chapter. AneeshaLOTR**


	4. The Time of Meeting with a Troublemaker

Chapter 4. Of Dwarves, Hobbits, Wizards and a Troublemaker.

There was quite a commotion in the cavern were the dwarves were living. Gandalf could think of a million ways of telling the dwarves that they had finally found there last member, without getting everyone worked up. He had been planning on telling Thoren and having thorin tell the others at dinner. But there was one small flaw in that plan, Heather. The moment they had returned to the caverns, after showing all of the dwarves Nimmeth, Heather toke it upon herself to tell the news of the finding of the last companion, all were overjoyed and Heather somehow convinced them all (even Thorin), that a celebration was in order. And now the dwarves and Heather were eating and drinking to their heart's content, some of the dwarfs had already slipped off to bed, but the rest were fixed on drinking until morning came.

Heather woke up to the sound of dwarves snoring.

Well today is the day, she smirked, and this day was going to start with a bang if she had anything to do about it.

She sat up, all she needed was to decide how to wake them up with a bang. Stinging aunts? No, they need to be able to walk and ride. A Dragons roar? No, Gandalf would most likely make her stay behind for that. Let's see.

"THAT'S IT!" Heather yelled.

"Hmm?" Dwalin mumbled in his sleep.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep." Heather shushed.

Dwalin rolled over and started to snore.

Heather sighed that was way to close. She grinned and sat up. This would take some time, but will be well worth it, totally well worth it.

Gandalf was sitting just outside the caverns smoking his pipe. He lifted his head as he heard a yell from inside.

"Sounds like Heather didn't get a hangover this time." He mused. "I remember the time she out drank the twins"

Flashback

"Now Heather I want you to meet Lord Elrond's children, Elladen and Elrohir the twins, and Lady Arwen his daughter." Gandalf said to Heather.

"Well meet my lady, my lords." Gandalf was very pleased that the family of Lord Elrond was getting such a good reaction out of Heather.

"Well meet Lady Heather, I hope your stay here will be long and marry." Lord Elrond replied.

"I am sure it will be a memorable one my lord." Heather stated with confidence.

"My Lord would you be so kind as to have someone show Heather to her room? I fear that the days ride will soon catch up to her." In other words Gandalf was afraid that she would try something.

"Of course Gandalf. Elladen, Elrohir would you show Lady Heather to her rooms?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Certainly Ada." They replied.

"Tis this way my lady." With that the twins led Heather into the house.

"Gandalf. If I may ask something of you." Lord Elrond turned to Gandalf with a look in his eye that made Gandalf wish he had been taken away with Heather.

"Certainly Elrond." Gandalf replied.

"I would like to know how troublesome the Lady Heather will be on this visit." Lord Elrond said this with a knowing look.

Gandalf sighed. The last time they had been here was over twenty years ago and Heather had given one of Lord Elrond's guests a memorable gift of stinging aunts*.

"I don't know my Lord. The last time we were hear your children weren't here." Gandalf was hoping beyond hope that nothing happened on this visit.

"So Lady Heather, have you been to imaldris before?" Elladen asked.

"Yes, twenty years ago. During the winter." Heather replied.

"Yes, father told us about a guest that was here during that time. He said that there was also a mishap with a colony of stinging aunts." Elrohir said.

"Yes, absolutely horrible. Poor elf he must have been in bed for a month and a half." Here Heather looked as incent as a child stealing a sweet before supper.

The twins exchanged a glace before continuing.

"We were wondering my lady if you could tell us if the aunts were an accident or a prank." Elladen said.

"My lord! How could anyone use stinging aunts as a prank. And how would I know anything about it." Heather acted as if she was completely insulted.

"Well we might have accidently overheard Ada and Ester talking about it after we returned from scouting, and they said that they were sure that the aunts were placed there, and most likely were placed by a certain companion of Gandalf's. We don't know what companion, and we were hoping that you might know the person who did it." The twin explained.

"I might, but then I might not." Heather replied with a challenging look in her eyes.

"Come on. Tell us." They said.

"I will make you a deal." Heather said.

The next morning Lord Elrond and Gandalf were seated at a table in the dining room. Lady Arwen came into the room.

"Good morning Ada, Gandalf." She said sweetly.

"Good morning Arwen." Lord Elrond said. "Do you know where the twins are? I asked them to join us early for I wished to speak with them before the morning meal, but they have not yet arrived." He asked.

"No Ada I have not seen them." Arwen frowned.

Gandalf suddenly felt ill. If the twins failed to come early and Heather was also late then that meant that. No they wouldn't.

"My Lord please excuse me for a moment." With that Gandalf hurried out of the hall.

"Ada did something happen last night?" Arwen asked.

"I hope not Arwen, I hope not." Lord Elrond said.

Gandalf knew what would happen if his hunch was right, and he hoped it wasn't. If he remember the twins had not returned to the hall after taking Heather to her room, and if the twins were as bad as Ester made them out to be then there would no hope what so ever.

Gandalf slowed as he approached Heathers room. He lifted his staff and knocked on her door.

"Heather. Are you awake?" He held his breath.

The door slammed wide open. And there sod heather wide awake and dressed for the day.

"Oh dear am I late for breakfast? I am so sorry I promised the Arwen I would help her in the library today. Got to run see you at lunch." With that Heather ran to the hall to grab some food before going to the library with Arwen.

"She wouldn't" Gandalf pushed open the door and stared.

There on the floor in the middle of her room lay to completely drunk Elves bottles all around them. Other than that Heathers room was perfectly clean the bed had been made (by Heather) and the bathwater had been thrown out. As Gandalf was leaving he saw a note clipped to Elladens tunic.

Well it looks like I won.

Forty two bottles. Elrohir out at thirty seven. Elladen out at Thirty eight.

I hope you enjoy the side effects.

With much respect, Heather.

Well that was it. The poor elves will not be showing their faces for some time after this.

Well it ended up that the twins didn't leave there rooms for three months. Not only were they out drunk by Heather, but the _side affects_ she was talking about ended being the horses not allowing them within ten feet of them. Poor Lord Elrond was without two scouts for three months.

End Flashback.

Gandalf was about to go back inside when he heard yells of terror from inside.

Heather skipped outside.

"Good morning Gandalf, I see you almost ready for breakfast. We are having roast boor and beer on ice." She chirped.

"The roast boor I can understand, but beer on Ice." Gandalf raised his eyebrow.

"It's my newest idea." Heather replied.

"Well as long as it doesn't poison us or make our hair turn some unnatural color it should be ok." Gandalf said with some gloom in his voice. Almost all of Heathers _Ideas_ ended up as failure's in one way or another.

"Well Heather, we had better get the dwarves up and eat some food, we must get ready for our tea date today." Gandalf said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Of course Gandalf. Oh and don't worry about getting them up, I have taken care of that." Heather smirked. Oh she certainly had.

Bilbo Baggins was sitting at his kitchen table on his third seed cake when there was a knock on his round door.

Oh dear, it seems that Mr. Baggins completely forgot about Gandalf and their tea date. He hurried and put on the kettle grabbed a few more seed cakes, and rushed to the door.

I am terribly sorry he was about to say, but instead of Gandalf there was a dwarf.

"Bawlen at your service" the dwarf said.

"Bilbo" poor Mr. Baggins squeaked.

"I was about to take tea, would you like to join me" Bilbo inquired politely.

"Yes and a little beer would go down quite well" Bawlen said as they walked in to the kitchen.

Very soon after poor Bilbo was quite busy, for soon after Bawlen had arrived there came another and yet still another dwarf to his humble abode, and Bilbo was running to the door and bringing them in fetching beer, pies, roast meat and anything else his unexpected company so wished. Finally there came a rap on the door that sounded like someone banging with a stick. When Bilbo went to the door there was Gandalf with one other dwarf and a lady holding a white rabbit.

"Well hello Bilbo. I hope you are feeling well." Gandalf said with a twinkle in his eye that made Bilbo sure that he had planned this along.

"Yes thank you. Do come in."

After all had been seated Gandalf introduced all of the dwarves to Bilbo and had Heather stand up and introduce herself and Nimmeth.

"Well meet Mr. Baggins, I am Heather and this is my companion Nimmeth. We will be acomneing you and the dwarves to the lonely mountain. I am to make sure that you and all of these wonderful dwarves get out alive." Hear she started to sit down. "Oh, and to make sure you all get up on time." With that she sat down with an innocent smile on her face.

"And that is the part none of us want anything to do with." Kili said to Bilbo.

"Why not?" He replied.

"Well her idea of _getting us up on time_ Is always something different, but what she means is that when you wake up you will end up at the wrong end of some sort of prank or terrible chore." At that note kili shuddered.

"This morning was terrible." Fili said. "We all woke up to be hanging by our feet over our breakfast. And she wouldn't let us down till it was finished cooking. She always does something like that if you aren't awake before dawn."

"Now that we all understand what we will be doing, let us get some sleep. We will be getting up bright and early tomorrow." Gandalf said.

Everyone started to clean up and get ready for bed.

"Miss Heather would you like to sleep in the living room on the couch?" Bilbo asked ever so politely.

"No thank you. I will sleep outside, I am more comfortable on your lawn then I would be in the house. But thank you for your consideration." Heather said with a smile. She had a lot of respect for the little hobbit. It was not every day that a troop of dwarves came knocking on your door and tell you that you were going on an adventure to slay a dragon. And somehow the little hobbit still had his wits about him. Heather went outside. The soothing sounds of crickets and the wind in the grass made her sleepy, Nimmeth was curled up in her lap already asleep.

"Heather." A voice called to her.

"Yes?" she said.

"The light is ever present." The voice replied.

"As is the earth." Heather replied.

At that a light ball appeared in front of heather, from the ball came the voice.

"You are well?" the voice asked.

"I am. Thanks for asking. Will you be joining us on our quest? And have you found anything on the last keeper?"

"No we haven't found anything. But we have a few leads, and some of them are near and on the way to the lonely mountain. So I will be joining you after you cross the mountains." The voice said.

"Wonderful! Oh and I have a friend I want you to meet when you come." At this heather started petting Nimmeth.

"I look forward to meeting your friend. But until then stay with the dwarves and hobbit. Until we meet again." With that the ball of light disappeared and the voice with it.

"Well that was a nice surprise, don't you think so Nimmeth?" Nimmeth bobbed her head before going back to sleep.

Well now that's over, how should I wake them up tomorrow?

*Not Thranduil.

I am so sorry that I have not updated sooner. I am taking a summer math course, and I can't seem to get anything done. Please R&R.


	5. Note

Hi,

I forgot to say that the poll for heathers paring is still up.

Also my new pen name is ThreeDarkAngels just so you know.

The new chapter will be up soon. I have openings for ideas in this chapter so tell me If you have any ideas.

ThreeDarkAngels.


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